Bill > HR3560

This bill establishes a two-year pilot program designed to employ veterans in federal wildland firefighting positions, jointly administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Agriculture, and Department of the Interior. The program aims to reduce veteran unemployment by identifying and filling vacant firefighting-related positions with qualified veterans, including roles in forestry, rangeland, incident management, aviation, engineering, dispatch, and fire management. The VA will be responsible for program administration, while the Agriculture and Interior Departments will identify and help employ suitable candidates. The bill requires multiple reports to congressional committees, including an initial plan, an implementation report after one year, and a final report detailing the number of veterans who applied, were employed, and potentially transitioned to full-time federal positions. The program may also be integrated with the existing Skillbridge program, which helps service members transition to civilian employment. Importantly, veterans hired through this pilot program will be treated as official federal employees, and the VA will develop best practices based on lessons learned from previous veteran employment initiatives to maximize the program's effectiveness and potential cost savings.

Business and Industry, Military Affairs and Security

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3560/all-info